'A stitch in time saves nine' - the meaning and origin of this phrase Famous Last Words Browse phrases beginning with: A stitch in time saves nine more like this... A timely effort will prevent more work later. Origin This is nothing to do with rips in the fabric of the space-time continuum, as some have ingeniously suggested. The meaning of this proverb is often requested at the Phrase Finder Discussion Forum, so I'll be explicit. The question usually asked is "saves nine what"? The 'stitch in time' is simply the prompt sewing up of a small hole or tear in a piece of material, so saving the need for more stitching at a later date when the hole has become larger. Clearly the first users of this expression were referring to saving nine stitches. This little homily seems to be falling out of use - as does stitching. This proverbial expression was obviously meant as an incentive to the lazy. It's especially gratifying that 'a stitch in time saves nine' is an anagram for 'this is meant as incentive'! The Anglo Saxon work ethic is being called on here.

Many English proverbs encourage immediate effort as superior to putting things off until later; for example, 'one year's seeds, seven year's weeds', 'procrastination is the thief of time' and ' the early bird catches the worm '. The 'stitch in time' notion has been current in English for a very long time and is first recorded in Thomas Fuller's Gnomologia, Adagies and Proverbs, Wise Sentences and Witty Sayings, Ancient and Modern, Foreign and British, 1732: "A Stitch in Time May save nine." Fuller, who recorded a large number of the early proverbs in the language, wrote an explanatory preamble to this one: "Because verses are easier got by heart, and stick faster in the memory than prose; and because ordinary people use to be much taken with the clinking of syllables; many of our proverbs are so formed, and very often put into false rhymes; as, a stitch in time, may save nine; many a little will make a mickle .

This little artiface, I imagine, was contrived purposely to make the sense abide the longer in the memory, by reason of its oddness and archness." As far as is known, the first person to state unambiguously that 'a stitch in time saves nine', rather than Fuller's less confident 'may save nine', was the English astronomer Francis Baily, in his Journal, written in 1797 and published in 1856 by Augustus De Morgan: After a little while we acquired a method of keeping her [a boat] in the middle of the stream, by watching the moment she began to vary, and thereby verifying the vulgar proverb, '"A stitch in time saves nine." Why Do People Say “A Stitch In Time Saves Nine”? | Wonderopolis Wonder of the Day #147 Why Do People Say “A Stitch In Time Saves Nine”? Why do people say, “A stitch in time saves nine"? What is procrastination? How can you stop procrastinating? Tags: Listen Have you ever heard one of your grandparents say, “A stitch in time saves nine"?

They may have uttered this phrase with a wise nod of the head after a subtle recommendation to do something now, rather than waiting until later. You may have thought, “Saves nine what?" If so, read on… “A stitch in time saves nine" is an idiom , which is a phrase whose symbolic or intended meaning is different from the literal meaning of the words themselves. Historians believe it first appeared in print in 1732 in Thomas Fuller's Gnomologia, Adagies and Proverbs, Wise Sentences and Witty Sayings, Ancient and Modern, Foreign and British. Of course, if Fuller considered this saying to be a proverb in 1732, it was probably around for many years before that. Its meaning is quite simple: Don't procrastinate! Procrastination means to delay or put off doing something until a later time. People use “a stitch in time saves nine" to express that it's better to spend a little time and effort to deal with a problem right now than to wait until later, when it may get worse and take longer to deal with. Many believe procrastination — putting off doing something until later — creates more work in the long run.

Although no one knows for sure who came up with this saying or what significance stitches or the number nine have, many people believe it was started by mothers weary of mending their children's clothing. The phrase thus might be stated more clearly as, “One stitch , in time, saves nine stitches," meaning that mending a tear right away would only require one stitch instead of the 10 stitches necessary later if the tear goes unfixed and worsens. Many people shorten the phrase to just "a stitch in time." Other similar proverbs include “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and “there's no time like the present." Wonder Words (14) Take the Wonder Word Challenge Wonder What's Next? Smile! Join us in Wonderopolis tomorrow as we brush off a wonder that will leave you hanging by a thread… Try It Out So what do you think? Does a stitch, in time, really save nine? Discuss procrastination with your family. Are there things that they need to do but they've been avoiding? If so, why? What is it about those tasks that make them not want to do them? Help your children make a list of a couple of things they've been avoiding doing.

Actually, if it's easier, just wait until tomorrow to make the list. NOT! Do it with them now! For each item on their list, ask them to think about some consequences of waiting to accomplish the task. These will obviously vary by task, but they could include things such as too little time to complete the task, poor quality due to rushing to meet a deadline, extra time required to complete a bigger, more difficult task, etc. For example, if your children are like most, cleaning their room might not be at the top of their list of “fun" things to do. Many children tend to procrastinate, putting off this unpleasant task until it becomes a real chore that takes up a lot of time. Explain to them that doing a little bit of cleaning every day, though, keeps their room clean all the time and saves them from spending hours on a Saturday when they could be outside instead. Hopefully, making a list and discussing it with your children will help them see that there are good reasons for doing things sooner rather than later. If they want to keep track of their “to do" list online and feel the satisfaction of checking things off that list as they complete them, go online with them to check out TeuxDeux !

Parable of the Rich Fool. Finish the saying.. A stitch in time. - ppt download Presentation is loading. Please wait. Parable of the Rich Fool. Finish the saying.. A stitch in time. Published by Timothy Stratford Modified about 1 year ago Embed Similar presentations More Presentation on theme: "Parable of the Rich Fool. Finish the saying.. A stitch in time."— Presentation transcript: 1 Parable of the Rich Fool 2 Finish the saying.. A stitch in time 3 Finish the saying.. A stitch in time Saves Nine 4 Finish the saying.. He who pays the piper 5 Finish the saying.. He who pays the piper Calls the tune 6 Finish the saying.. Many hands 7 Finish the saying.. Many hands Make light work 8 Finish the saying.. You can drag a horse to water 9 Finish the saying.. You can drag a horse to water But a pencil must be lead 10 Finish the saying.. You can lead a horse to water But you can’t make it drink 11 Finish the saying.. Where there’s a will 12 Finish the saying.. Where there’s a will There’s a way 13 Finish the saying..

Where there’s a will There’s a RELATIVE 14 Luke Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ 15 Luke Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ 15 Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ 16 Luke And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” 17 Luke ‘Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” 18 Luke ‘But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.

Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” 19 Luke ‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves, but is not rich towards God.’ 20 Inherited Riches 21 Luke 10 The parable of the good Samaritan 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 22 Inheritance Very important concept in Old Testament Everything belonged to the Family No wills No decisions about who would/would not inherit All sons received a portion But the eldest got a double portion 23 Background “What can I do to inherit eternal life?” Odd question You can’t do anything to inherit (short of marrying into a family..) Or possibly killing your father…. 24 Background But Jesus gives an answer after asking/answering a question “ Who is my neighbour?” “Surely not the Samaritans…..

They can never be in my family….” Jesus hints that a family change is possible and New Testament goes on to develop it 25 Inheritance Needs to have a death and Beneficiaries 26 Inheritance Needs to have a death Beneficiaries Jesus has died and we as His Family get the benefits ! 27 We inherit.. 28 A kingdom! 29 We inherit.. A kingdom! James 2:5 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 30 We inherit.. A kingdom! James 2:5 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 31 We inherit.. Something that will last for ever 32 We inherit..

Something that will last for ever Hebrews 9:15 15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins 33 We inherit.. Something that will last for ever (2) 34 We inherit.. Something that will last for ever (2) 1 Peter 1:4 4 … into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you 35 We inherit.. A Guarantee 36 We inherit.. A Guarantee Ephesians 1:14 14 The Holy Spirit….. who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory. 37 We are heirs 38 Titus 3:7 7 … so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 39 We inherit.. A Kingdom That is guaranteed That will last Eternal Kept in heaven As Heirs All because we have become part of God’s family 40 We inherit..

All because we have become part of God’s family Because Jesus died to make it possible As a free gift By Faith And Grace 41 Back to the parable.. 42 Luke Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ 43 Luke Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ 15 Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ 44 Luke ‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God.’ 45 Matt 6 19 ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 46 Matt 6 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

47 Point of the Passage Greed Wanting More 48 Context Luke 12 V1 Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Modern Day picture “It doesn’t matter who I climb over on my way to the top” 49 Context Luke 12 V1 Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees— their hypocrisy. 50 Point of the Passage Greed Wanting More 1 “tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ The man knew what he was going to get, but wanted more 51 Point of the Passage Greed Wanting More 2 ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” 52 Key word 15 Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ 53 Key word 15 Then he said to them, ‘Watch out!

Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ Word for abundance comes from overflow ie more than enough 54 Key concept Stewardship We do not own anything We are only looking after it for some time 55 56 Luke And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” 57 Luke ‘Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” 58 Luke ‘But God said to him, “You fool!” Fool, is a much stronger word than we associate it today 59 How much did he leave..? 60 You can’t take it with you Everything will belong to someone else eventually 61 Luke ‘But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.

Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” 21 ‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God.’ 62 Our life is only on loan It belongs to God and He can ask for it back With No Notice !! 63 Planning for life before death is prudent 64 Planning for life before death is prudent Not planning is silly 65 Planning for life before death is prudent Not planning is silly Not planning for Life after death is disastrous 66 Luke 12 Living Bible 21 “Yes, every man is a fool who gets rich on earth but not in heaven.” 67 “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. A little yeast alters all the loaf The attitude of greed only needs a little bit to spread and affect all our life 68 69 What’s the worst that could happen? Most people say “You could get killed..” 70 What’s the worst that could happen? Luke 12 4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 71 What’s the worst that could happen?

Luke 12 4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. 72 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. 73 And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 74 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.

31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 75 Life after Death? 76 Is real Jesus came back from the dead to prove it! 77 Summary Watch out for Greed God wants to give us everything anyway as His family members We can be heirs by faith and grace Everyone is a fool who gets rich on earth, but not in heaven. Everything, including our life is only on loan to us Seek God's Kingdom first 78 Finish the saying.. There’s no fool 79 Finish the saying.. There’s no fool Like an old fool 80 Jesus is saying.. There’s no fool Like a rich fool 81 Finish the saying.. There’s no fool Like a rich fool Where is your treasure ? 82 Time Management Quotes and Sayings | Time Management Made Easy Time Management Quotes and Sayings “Time is a great healer, but a poor beautician.” – Lucille S. Harper “The trouble with being punctual is that nobody’s there to appreciate it.” – Franklin P.

Jones “The future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed.” – William Gibson “I am definitely going to take a course on time management… just as soon as I can work it into my schedule.” – Louis E. Boone “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” – Will Rogers “Don’t get sidetracked stomping on ants when you have elephants to feed.” – Peter Turla “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” – Cyril Northcote Parkinson “If it weren’t for the last minute, a lot of things wouldn’t get done.” – Michael S. Traylor “Those who make the worst of their time most complain about its shortness.” – La Bruyere “People hurry so they can get to places faster where they’d rather not be so they can have more time to do things they’d rather not be doing.” – Peter Turla “It’s not worth completing that which shouldn’t have been started in the first place.” – Peter Turla “It’s not how many things you start that make you successful. It’s how many worthwhile things you finish.” – Peter Turla “Figuring out what we need to do is not the challenge.

The challenge is figuring out when to do it.” – Peter Turla “Transform a wish into a goal by putting a date on it.” – Peter Turla “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” – Benjamin Franklin “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin “Time is money.” – Benjamin Franklin “You delay, but time will not.” – Benjamin Franklin “Time lost is never found again.” – Benjamin Franklin “Be mindful of how you approach time. Watching the clock is not the same as watching the sun rise.” – Sophia Bedford-Pierce “Managing your time without setting priorities is like shooting randomly and calling whatever you hit the target.” – Peter Turla “Make sure you set SMART goals. They should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Timed” – Peter Turla “If you want to have a high quality personal life, plan a high quality personal life.” – Peter Turla “Living your life without a plan is like watching television with someone else holding the remote control.” – Peter Turla “It’s better to do the right thing slowly than the wrong thing quickly.” – Peter Turla “Everything requires time. It is the only truly universal condition.

All work takes place in time and uses up time. Yet most people take for granted this unique, irreplaceable, and necessary resource. Nothing else, perhaps, distinguishes effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time.” – Peter F. Drucker “If you don’t have time to plan, do you have time to waste?” – Peter Turla “Work eight hours and sleep eight hours, and make sure that they are not the same eight hours.” – T. Boone Pickens “Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year — and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” – Anthony Robbins “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” – Lord Chesterfield “Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” – Earl Nightingale “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff that life is made of.” – Benjamin Franklin “The bad news is time flies.

The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler “You shouldn’t be dusting your knickknacks if your kitchen counters are still dirty.” – Peter Turla “All the flowers of all of the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.” – Chinese Proverb “You can’t catch one hog when you’re chasing two.” – Moe Schaffer “Don’t spend a dollar’s worth of time on a ten cent decision.” – Peter Turla “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mohandas K. Gandhi “The most important question to ask on the job is not “What am I getting? “The most important question to ask is “What am I becoming?” – Jim Rohn “Plan, because things that are planned are more apt to happen than things that are not planned.” – Peter Turla “We can no more afford to spend major time on minor things than we can to spend minor time on major things.” – Jim Rohn “The worst days of those who enjoy what they do are better than the best days of those who don’t.” – Jim Rohn “You must get good at one of two things.

Planting in the spring or begging in the fall.” – Jim Rohn “Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.”- Will Rogers “I made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter.” – Pascal, Provincial Letters XVI “Crash programs fail because they are based on the theory that, with nine women pregnant, you can get a baby a month.” – Wernher von Braun “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers “I was part of that strange race of people aptly described as spending their lives doing things they detest to make money they don’t want to buy things they don’t need to impress people they dislike.” – Emile Henry Gauvreay “If you win the rat race, you’re still a rat.” – Lily Tomlin “The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.” – Henry David Thoreau “Money is a wonderful thing, but it is possible to pay too high a price for it.” – Alexander Bloch, American conductor “If

 the consequence of doing nothing is nothing- then do nothing” – Peter Turla “Do not confuse motion and progress.

A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.” – Alfred A. Montapert “A plan is WHAT you’re going to do; a schedule is WHEN you’re going to do it. A To-do item without a time and date is merely a wish.” – Peter Turla “Dress me slowly, I’m in a hurry” – Napoleon Bonaparte to his valet who was dressing him in his battle uniform “I recommend to you to take care of the minutes; for hours will take care of themselves.” – Lord Chesterfield “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.” – Helen Keller “Time is the substance from which I am made.

Time is a river which carries me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire” – Jorge Luis Borges “It is better to have lived one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep.” – Tibetan saying “Live each day as if it be your last.” – Marcus Aurelius, 140 AD “Never leave till tomorrow that which you can do today.” – Benjamin Franklin “A stitch in time saves nine.” – popularized by Benjamin Franklin in his “Poor Richard’s Almanac,” “He does not seem to me to be a free man who does not sometimes do nothing.” – Cicero “The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” – Bertrand Russell “In an organization, each person rises to the level of his own incompetence.”- Laurence Peter “Never fight with a pig.

You both get dirty and the pig enjoys it!” – General Abrahm’s Pig Law “Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” – Will Rogers “Focused action beats brilliance” – Mark Sanborn “There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see, yet small enough to solve.” – Mike Leavitt “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe” – Abraham Lincoln “Begin with the end in mind.” – Steven Covey “Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.” – David Allen “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” – Peter F. Drucker “Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader. Don’t fall victim to what I call the “ready – aim – aim – aim – aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire. ” – T. Boone Pickens “A plan without action is not a plan. It’s a speech.“ – T.

Boone Pickens “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ― Mother Teresa “Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – St Francis of Assisi “Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.” – Hector Louis Berlioz “It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau “Take a rest. A field that has rested yields a beautiful crop.”- Roman poet Ovid “Ordinary people think merely how they will spend their time, a man of intellect tries to use it.” – Schopenhauer “I’m too busy mopping the floor to turn off the faucet.” – Author unknown “You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” – Alvin Toffler “How do you eat an elephant?

Answer: A bite at a time.” – Children’s riddle, author unknown “We all need a daily check up from the neck up to avoid stinkin ‘thinkin’ which ultimately leads to hardening of the attitudes.” – Zig Ziglar A Stitch In Time Saves Nine Quotes A Stitch In Time Saves Nine Quotes Showing search results for A Stitch In Time Saves Nine Quotes. favorite favorite favorite Sign up to unlock more quotes and new features! 1 Tuesday, January 10 Today's most popular search phrases Gain access to thousands of new quotes only available to registered users. Browse the site a lot faster with fewer advertisements. Collect your favorite quotes to access and share at any time. 100% Free! We will never charge you anything and our content is completely user driven! Home Terms Privacy Sitemap RSS Contact ABOUT US Our goal is to help you by delivering amazing quotes to bring inspiration, personal growth, love and happiness to your everyday life. LEGAL Copyright © 2017 Searchquotes.com and/or its licensors. All rights reserved. Use of this site is subject to Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy . Developed by Searchquotes.com. © 2017 SearchQuotes™ All rights reserved.

A Stitch In Time Saves Nine A stitch in time saves nine. Meaning: You use this proverb to say that it is better to spend a little time to deal with problems or act right now than wait. If you wait until late, things will get worse, and it will take much longer to deal with them. It is often shortened to "A stitch in time." This proverb expresses a similar idea to that of An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure . Example: I advise fixing the leak now. If not, you might need to replace the whole engine later. Fixing the leak costs $50, but you need to pay at least $1,000 to replace the engine. A stitch in time, you know. If you have an idea for your final research paper, start writing today. Don't wait until the end of the semester. A stitch in time saves nine. A stitch in time : Famous Proverbs and Quotes Shop Famous Proverbs and Quotes Shop Enter your email below to receive product features and specials in your inbox! > A stitch in time A stitch in time saves nine - T-shirts, stickers, apparel and gifts for classic quote and proverb lovers. View or change your order .

Shipping & Returns This shop is powered by CafePress Inc. Copyright Â© 1999- CafePress.com. All rights reserved. Non-US currency rates are updated daily and may fluctuate. English Proverbs and Proverb Humor English Proverbs and Proverb Humor (revised 6 June 2003) A stumble may prevent a fall All good things come to those who wait Everyone must row with the oars he has Every path has its puddle God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb One of these days is none of these days Revenge is a dish best served cold Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow See also Weather Proverbs (external) Beauty without grace is like a hook without bait.

Contributed by Charon Muck, 26 Jan 2000 Caught between a rock and a hard place Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea (to be stuck with two choices that are both undesirable) Out of the frying pan and into the fire (to go from a bad to a worse situation) Might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb (if you're going to get into the same amount of trouble, you might as well commit the greater offense) Six of one, half a dozen of the other (each choice is really the same thing) Two sides of the same coin (two aspects of a situation that are connected by necessity) In for a penny, in for a pound (if you're going to make a minor committment you might as well make the entire committment) Don't count your chickens before they're hatched (don't start making plans for something until it is a reality, rather than a pleasant speculation) Don't cross your bridges before you get to them (don't worry about future problems before you need to) A stitch in time saves nine (if you take care of a problem while it's small you won't have a bigger problem to deal with later) (or, as

 Dr.

Who likes to say: A stitch in time takes up space) Time and tide wait for no man (act in a timely fashion because you can't get back lost chances) (or, once again as Dr. Who likes to say: Time and tide melts the snowman.) Contributed by Rebecca Loos, Spokane, Washington, 5 June 2000 To listen is to learn, and to understand is to inspire. Contributed by Hannah Martinez, 5 February 2002 A lie well stuck to is as good as the truth. If you're too open-minded, your brains will fall out. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity. Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he'll be a mile way - and barefoot. Going to church doesn't make you a holy person any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. A closed mouth gathers no feet. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission. I have found at my age going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of my face. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip. Always yield to temptation, because it may not pass your way again. A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway. No husband has ever been shot while doing the dishes. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it. It's amazing what you won't find if you don't look for it, especially if it's not there. (Thanks to Mark O'Reilly, Dundee, Scotland.) Proverb completion A first grade teacher collected old, well known proverbs. She gave each child in her class the first half of a proverb, and had them come up with the rest.

As you shall make your bed, so shall you..........mess it up Better to be safe than....................punch a 5th grader Strike while the................................bug is close It's always darkest before.............daylight savings time You can lead a horse to water but.......................how? Don't bite the hand that.........................looks dirty A miss is as good as a...................................Mr.

You can't teach an old dog new..........................math If you lie down with the dogs, you'll.....stink in the morning The pen is mightier than the............................pigs An idle mind is.........................the best way to relax Where there's smoke, there's.......................pollution a stitch in time (saves nine) Definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary › said to mean that it is better to act or deal with problems immediately , because if you wait and deal with them later , things will get worse and the problems will take longer to deal with (Definition of “a stitch in time (saves nine)” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press) Translations of “a stitch in time (saves nine)” A Stitch in Time Saves Nine A Stitch in Time Saves Nine By Abdulateef Al-Mulhim / / Abdulateef Al-Mulhim Commodore, Royal Saudi Navy (Retired) Do you know the true value of a billion? It is equal to a thousand millions. In other words, if you happen to be a billionaire you can spend a million riyals every month for 83 years and end up with four million riyals left in your pocket.

Phew, a billion goes a long way. It goes without saying that any billion-riyal project is surely a mega project. Having understood the value of billion riyals, it would be easy to realize the importance of a project worth SR286 billion. In other words, we are talking about more than a quarter of a trillion. And yes, there are reports about such a mega project that will help Saudis to do things in a particular way to achieve impressive results. In the business world, consultation firms or consultants are very common. Just a few days ago, Saudi columnist Barjas Albarjas wrote in the Saudi daily Al-Watan that a special project had been designed for the effective implementation of the five-year National Transformation Initiatives. Global giants like McKinsey are eyeing the project. As per reports in the Saudi newspapers, the idea of hiring any consultation firm is yet to materialize and has not moved beyond the brainstorming phase. Most of the points in the national transformation plan are all leading initiatives for ministries and their associated departments. All this can be done much cheaper without the involvement of foreign companies. The amount of money spent every year can be utilized in direct projects that will improve the infrastructure in the Kingdom.

We are talking about a quarter of a trillion riyals that will be spent in five years just to show us the way of doing things better and to pave the best way for a ministry to conduct its business. I have read many things about this consultation project but I found it difficult to understand the idea. We are preparing the country for a very ambitious plan that will take Saudi Arabia to new levels of development and to reduce the country’s dependence on oil income. So, it is very important to see tangible results when initiating a mega project. When a project of this size is initiated, it is important to see and calculate how many jobs it will create, its effects on the environment and its long-term effects on the economy. More funds should be allocated to train Saudis to run and manage mega projects. In addition, there is a need to train the Saudi youth in the science of funds management. There are many ways to cut expenditures without any negative effects on these projects. We have built government buildings, mosques, airports and other high-rise buildings with high ceilings that require a lot of energy to cool down in a country with long and hot summers with temperatures reaching more than 45 degrees Celsius.

We are used to constructing palatial government offices that need huge funds for general maintenance. We should devise ways to cut down these unnecessary expenses. Written by Abdulateef Al-Mulhim. A stitch in time Saves Nine reprinted with permission of Arab News and Abdulateef Al-Mulhim.

Question: Finish this saying. 'A stitch in time saves'?
Answer: 9